Financial and economic update regarding the stock, bond and other markets by Michael Finer and Major League Investments, Inc.

1. Major League Investments, Inc. Presents:
WEEKLY ECONOMIC UPDATE
February 25, 2013
WEEKLY QUOTE HOME SALES RISE, HOUSING STARTS FALL
“You miss 100% of the January brought a 0.4% improvement in existing home sales, even as the inventory
shots you never take.” of properties for sale hit a 93-month low. The National Association of Realtors
reported a 25% year-over-year decline in existing home inventory, which hasn’t
- Wayne Gretzky been seen since December 1999. The median sales price was $173,600 last month,
up 12.9% from a year ago. Turning to new construction, housing starts dropped
8.5% in January after a 15.7% gain in December, but new home permits increased
WEEKLY TIP
1.8%.1,2
Inflation is tame right
now, but keep in mind
NO CHANGE IN CPI, BUT PRODUCER PRICES ADVANCE
that even moderate
The Consumer Price Index was flat for a second straight month in January, with
inflation can have
annualized inflation at just 1.6%. Core CPI (minus food and energy prices)
significant impact. For
advanced 0.3%, however - the biggest monthly gain since May 2011. The Producer
example, today’s
Price Index rose 0.2% in January, with overall yearly wholesale inflation at 1.4%.
3,4
$20,000 car would
cost roughly $29,600
in 2023 after ten SEQUESTRATION SEEMS IMMINENT
years of just 4% On March 1, $85 billion in federal budget cuts are set to occur – and with Congress
annual inflation. on recess last week, not much more than talk emerged about delaying them
further. Friday, President Obama said he did not believe that the cuts were
“inevitable” and commented that “this is not a smart way for us to reduce the
WEEKLY RIDDLE deficit”. At the end of last week, no bipartisan effort to reschedule them was
What can explode underway. 5
slowly, with no smoke
or flame? STOCKS STAGE FIRST WEEKLY RETREAT OF 2013
Pronounced volatility returned to Wall Street last week due to earnings surprises
and the January Federal Reserve policy meeting minutes, which
Last week’s riddle: raised concerns over the longevity of QE3. How did the key indices do last week?
If a single-engine The numbers: Dow, +0.13% to 14,000.57; S&P 500, -0.28% to 1,515.60; NASDAQ, -
airplane taxied not onto 0.95% to 3,161.82.6
a runway, but onto an
enormous conveyer belt
whose speed precisely
THIS WEEK: Earnings reports from Lowe’s and Hertz arrive Monday. Tuesday,
equaled that of the plane January new home sales figures, a new Conference Board consumer confidence poll
in the opposite direction, and the latest Case-Shiller Home Price Index appear, and Fed chairman Ben
could the plane still Bernanke begins two days of testimony in Congress; Macy’s, Home Depot, Saks,
manage to take off? AutoZone, Priceline and TiVo announce earnings. Reports on January pending
home sales and durable goods orders are out Wednesday plus earnings from
Last week’s answer: Target, Monster, Limited Brands, Dollar Tree, TJX, Groupon and

2. Yes, eventually. A JCPenney. Thursday offers quarterly results from Best Buy, Gap, Sears, Kohl’s and
plane's wheels roll freely, Barnes & Noble and the second estimate of Q4 GDP. Friday is March 1: sequester
and the thrust generated cuts may occur, the final February consumer sentiment index from the University of
by the prop or jet engine Michigan arrives, February’s ISM manufacturing index and reports on January
will still be greater than
drag and the lift created
consumer spending and vehicle sales appear, and Ben Bernanke speaks at the San
by air flowing over the Francisco Fed.
wing will still be greater
than the aircraft’s % CHANGE Y-T-D 1-YR CHG 5-YR AVG 10-YR AVG
weight.
DJIA +6.84 +8.21 +2.62 +7.46
NASDAQ +4.71 +7.80 +7.45 +13.44
S&P 500 +6.27 +11.63 +2.40 +7.87
REAL YIELD 2/22 RATE 1 YR AGO 5 YRS AGO 10 YRS AGO
10 YR TIPS -0.57% -0.27% 1.44% 1.93%
Sources: cnbc.com, bigcharts.com, treasury.gov - 2/22/136,7,8,9
Indices are unmanaged, do not incur fees or expenses, and cannot be invested into directly.
These returns do not include dividends.
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or any other taxpayer (i) for the purpose of avoiding tax penalties that may be imposed non the recipient or
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other entity, investment, arrangement or other transaction addressed herein.
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This information should not be construed as investment, tax or legal advice and may not be relied on for the purpose of avoiding any
Federal tax penalty. The Dow Jones Industrial Average is a price-weighted index of 30 actively traded blue-chip stocks. The NASDAQ
Composite Index is an unmanaged, market-weighted index of all over-the-counter common stocks traded on the National Association of
Securities Dealers Automated Quotation System. The Standard & Poor's 500 (S&P 500) is an unmanaged group of securities considered
to be representative of the stock market in general. It is not possible to invest directly in an index. NYSE Group, Inc. (NYSE:NYX)
operates two securities exchanges: the New York Stock Exchange (the “NYSE”) and NYSE Arca (formerly known as the Archipelago
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Division, home to the energy, platinum, and palladium markets, and the COMEX Division, on which all other metals trade. Additional
risks are associated with international investing, such as currency fluctuations, political and economic instability and differences in
accounting standards. All information is believed to be from reliable sources; however we make no representation as to its completeness
or accuracy. All economic and performance data is historical and not indicative of future results. Market indices discussed are
unmanaged. Investors cannot invest in unmanaged indices. The publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting or other
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Citations.
1 - www.marketwatch.com/story/home-sales-inch-up-in-january-as-inventory-shrinks-2013-02-21 [2/21/13]
2 - blogs.wsj.com/developments/2013/02/20/housing-starts-fall-but-economists-stay-positive/ [2/22/13]
3 - www.foxbusiness.com/economy/2013/02/21/consumer-prices-flat-in-january/ [2/22/13]
4 - articles.marketwatch.com/2013-02-20/economy/37188507_1_wholesale-prices-vegetable-prices-higher-food-prices [2/22/13]
5 - abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2013/02/hope-springs-eternal-for-obama-on-budget-cuts/ [2/22/13]
6 - www.cnbc.com/id/100484753 [2/22/13]
7 - bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=DJIA&closeDate=2%2F22%2F12&x=0&y=0 [2/22/13]
7 - bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=COMP&closeDate=2%2F22%2F12&x=0&y=0 [2/22/13]
7 - bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=SPX&closeDate=2%2F22%2F12&x=0&y=0 [2/22/13]
7 - bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=DJIA&closeDate=2%2F22%2F08&x=0&y=0 [2/22/13]
7 - bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=COMP&closeDate=2%2F22%2F08&x=0&y=0 [2/22/13]
7 - bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=SPX&closeDate=2%2F22%2F08&x=0&y=0 [2/22/13]
7 - bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=DJIA&closeDate=2%2F21%2F03&x=0&y=0 [2/22/13]
7 - bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=COMP&closeDate=2%2F21%2F03&x=0&y=0 [2/22/13]
7 - bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=SPX&closeDate=2%2F21%2F03&x=0&y=0 [2/22/13]
8 - www.treasury.gov/resource-center/data-chart-center/interest-rates/Pages/TextView.aspx?data=realyield [2/22/13]
9 - www.treasury.gov/resource-center/data-chart-center/interest-rates/Pages/TextView.aspx?data=realyieldAll [2/22/13]
Major League Investments, Inc.
530 Loring Ave Suite 302, Salem, MA 01970
Phone: 978-740-1011

4. michael.finer@majorleagueinvest.com